Autumnal...

I love October. Orange. Jacket mornings. Sneaking in another round of golf before Mother Nature's other ideas in the coming months..

Floats, parades, marching bands, football players on a fire truck, Homecoming Queens crowned. Kids in tuxes, gals in long dresses, the cost of a limo split (or dad's best car).. dining at places that one dines at only once a year.. Maybe even first kisses.

Breast Cancer awareness month. Pink wristbands, shoes, undershirts... memories, memorials of those gone - research/funding, SURVIVORS, and hope 'the bastard' is one day in our rear view mirror.

Bill Cosby says October is his favorite month because the flies get slow. Victor, you've told that one before. Bite me, I'm in the autumnal stage of my life.

Candy, candy, and more candy. Costumes: Goblins, ghosts, supermen, Beetlejuice, Duck Dynasty, Batman, Dora, Strawberry Shortcake, Grumpy cat, Gatsby, Walking Dead, Miley Cyrus - please just say no, Twerk or Treat? Tired parents/grandparents - little ones running like sixty, two hours past their bedtime. Pillow cases filled for good eating for darn near til December. Yum. Halloween. That day of freedom when mom/dad FINALLY let you go alone. Memories of going to the richest homes as a kid - "Can you believe it? A FULL SIZED SNICKERS!"

The crack of the bat, banners, full stadiums, mega media attention, tense moments, manager's decisions, great plays, big hits, heads down, high fives up - The Word Series.

Football, tailgating, the Chiefs, high hopes early in the season, a ticket - hopefully in an area in the sun. Folks in their 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, etc - hoopin', hollerin', a three hour chance to relive, behave once again - as a child.

October deserves 31 days. That certain period where you get to go to the thermostat, click the air off - windows open to allow 'outside - in' as if to say "HA! Take that KCP&L/MGE!"..

Colors. Colors abound. Changing shades of brown, orange, burnt orange, reds, fading reds - wonder.

"DEER!!!! LOOKOUT!" Bambi/fenders and bumpers vulnerable, the rut is on.

Test the furnace, check the antifreeze, get the heavy coats outta the mothballs (do people still do that?), batten down the hatches, birdies test your wings, we all prepare for an end to daylight savings - for dull, brrrrr, treacherous driving, barren trees, leaves aplenty on the ground, COLD, windy days are ahead.

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers" (L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables).

Me too LM, me too. Love, Victurd

(PS to spellcheck: get with the program/new millennium, you underlined twerk, you twerp.)